Truce
by StareAtTheSun
Summary: Oneshot. After what seemed to be hours, the dust had finally settled, leaving behind a shallow blanket that covered the ground. The last battle is over, Draco wanders the castle and finds resolution in an unlikely place.


I do not own anything in the HP universe, though it would be entertaining if I did. Be kind, this is my first one-shot. Constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy.

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After what seemed to be hours, the dust had finally settled, leaving behind a shallow blanket that covered the ground. A mixture of support beams and the roof that had shattered with the battle's concluding explosion, the powder was like a first snow of the season as it glinted cheerfully under the sun. Its shine was only enhanced by the random outbursts of dormant magic of what used to be the Great Hall's charmed ceiling. The dust buzzed like an exposed electrical wire, flashes of Technicolor light appeared under the blanket as the outbursts ran their course. All signs of life had vanished and unnatural silence wrapped her calming arms around the area, making the scene more ethereal than morbid. The only imperfection in the delicate frost of powdered debris was the trail of lone footprints, a stark reminder of humanity amidst such broken perfection. 

A soot-covered Draco Malfoy slowly walked the deserted halls, leaving behind footprints in his wake. His movements robotic, his aristocratic features void of feeling as he surveyed the damage done to the school he had called home. A slight shudder overcame his thin frame as he came upon the passageway to the dungeons. The room was calling to him, begging for his entrance, not wanting to be alone in its final hour. What sounded like a mix of a whimper and a strangled scream escaped Draco's lips as he imagined the damage done to the room that had welcomed him with open, loving arms for so many years. He screwed his eyes shut as he walked deeper into the heart of Hogwarts.

Upon entrance to the dungeons, Draco's heart fell into his stomach. He cautiously lifted his pale hand to caress the deep cracks that ran up and down the stone. His heart broke for the once proud walls that had provided him such comfort and warmth. Tiny trails of water danced down the room's stone face; the dungeons were weeping under the strain of the broken castle above it; weeping for its loss.

The sight struck a chord and Draco's lashes became heavy with unshed tears. His father was gone, lost to Azkaban. In his absence, the Manor had been confiscated by the Aurors as evidence. His mother was gone as well as she was lost inside herself, her mind retreating within; unable to cope. And now his second home was gone, lost to a war that he had eventually chosen to remain neutral in. Draco turned, his back to the wall, and slid down to his knees. Nothing. He had nothing left.

Draco's heavy-lidded eyes shot open as a pained moan filled his senses. Eyes scanning over the dim room, Draco saw a hunched figure in the dungeon's farthest corner. It was a somewhat familiar sight. The one downfall to living in the dungeons was that animals sought it out in their final hour. Pets seemed to find comfort and refuge in the lowest area of the castle as they breathed their last breath. The only difference was this time, the hunched form was human.

As Draco stepped forward, a visible shudder overcame the lone figure, making dust fly off its body. Denying his urge to turn around, Draco took another experimental step. As the body's features came in to focus, Draco let out the breath he did not know he was holding. Stark black tousled hair, even more tangled from earlier events, loosely fell over the olive skin of his pained face. A smudge of dirt was under his left eye, looking like war paint. The most startling features were the emerald eyes, no longer confined by the glasses that had been broken after the final explosion; eyes that flashed in recognition before hiding again in the folds of the tattered robe.

"Why are you here?" Harry's raspy voice danced across the dim room.

"I could ask you the same question. However, that would only be for the sake of formalities." Draco said, feeling lightheaded. His words came out mechanically, counteracting the stuffy sensation in his brain. "You thought that you would die. Since you have not, you come here, and wait for the entire castle to fall on you and finish you off. That is why you're here, because you've given up." Draco moved directly in front of Harry's broken form. His voice dropped as Harry's face gaped up at him. "I think that I may be here for that reason as well."

The pair turned silent at Draco's confession and Harry turned his eyes downcast, no longer able to maintain eye contact. The clang of falling debris hitting the floor followed by a slight rain of dust above them broke their dazed silence.

"Sit." Harry said, gesturing towards the space beside him. Not so much of a command as it was a peace offering.

Draco shifted back and forth on his feet awkwardly. Slowly, he bent down and sat next to the person that had procured such strong feelings of hatred for years. Companionable silence hovered above them as they sat and stared at the room in front of them. Hours passed before Harry cleared his throat to speak.

"I think that I want to thank you." Harry said quietly. Draco's head slowly turned to show his quizzical expression. Once assured that his statement was not about to be met with a biting remark, Harry continued. "You made my life normal, do you realize that? Without you and our stupid feud, I would have had nothing to ground me."

They returned to silence and Harry briefly wondered if Draco had even heard him. "I think," Draco said slowly, forming the words within his own mind before sending them into the air, "that you and I did not even know who it was that we were warring with." It was Harry's turn to look confused and Draco lifted a hand to hold off any questions that Harry was about to say. "Who am I? I am a Malfoy, a Slytherin, and I'm sure you would add more surface qualities to that list, as I would for you. But who am I really? What are my hopes, dreams, desires? You could not begin to even fathom a guess, nor could I for you. You were whatever I told myself you were. You were not real, that's what made it easy to hate you."

Harry shifted his position, allowing him the angle needed to search the eyes of his former enemy. In them he saw no deceit or malice, merely a hint of sadness and regret. "I'm sorry." Harry said and held his breath, as if waiting for the snake to bite.

"Me too." Said Draco, his voice sincere.

"I suppose introductions are in order." Harry said, holding his hand out in front of the blonde. "I'm Harry."

A faint smile graced Draco's lips as he grasped the outstretched hand in a firm handshake. "Draco." He said, voice hushed. Another moment of silence stretched between the pair before they broke out into an easy grin. Their laughter bounced off the dim walls and rose upward, past the confines of the dungeon and into the castle itself.

There was a deafening crack and the ceiling rained dust on their heads. The pair raised their heads at the sound. And the mighty castle gave up its losing battle, leaving nothing but a smoldering pile of rubble in its place.


End file.
